


Let The Sunshine In

by ApproachingEden



Series: Where The Sky Touches The Sea [2]
Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:09:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApproachingEden/pseuds/ApproachingEden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day Saruhiko swims to the surface and meets the sun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> A companion piece to [Where The Sky Touches The Sea](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5991490), though reading both isn't necessary to understand either.

Saruhiko was never fond of the sun. It's too hot and too bright, and the waters sparkle far too much under its blinding light. The sun is one of the many reasons he avoids swimming up to the surface during the day, instead preferring clear evenings when the stars are out in the sky.

That is, if he ever went out at all. Saruhiko would rather spend the rest of his life indoors if it were at all possible, but there is no way his siblings and his father would let him get away with it for too long. Sometimes he gets dragged out under the pretense of royal duties he has absolutely no care for and sometimes it's for some quality time with the family that he really _really_ does not enjoy, considering his father's idea of "bonding activities".

"What's the point of playing all these games if you keep winning anyway?" Saruhiko asks his father after losing yet another round of a traditional puzzle game.

Reisi beams at him, sparkling like the vast ocean under a particularly bright sunny day, and replies without a hint of sarcasm, "Is it not fun to spend time with the important people in your life?"

"Not really," Saruhiko says as he rolls his eyes.

There are times, however, when the youngest of King Reisi's ten children would emerge from his room without having to be bribed into doing so. Usually he does it to get out of having to babysit his cousins Umi and Kai, or to avoid stabbing his brother Andy in the face for yelling while speeding down the hallway outside his room. Today Saruhiko knows his father will be receiving some visitors that he would rather not be around for, so he's leaving before they arrive.

"Heeey, Saruhiko!!!" Someone calls to him the moment he swims out of his doorway.

When Saruhiko turns, he sees Akira cheerfully waving at him from the end of the hallway. He's with Tatsuya and Andy, and they all swim up to him.

"Feels like we haven't seen you in a while!" says Akira with a grin.

"We eat dinner together every evening," Saruhiko flatly points out.

Akira laughs, rubbing the back of his head. "Right! Of course!"

"Ah, but it's different when you come out to play," says Tatsuya. "Where are you going today?"

"Up."

"Eh? Really?!" Andy exclaims too excitedly. "Can I come with?"

"No, you're too noisy."

"Well, you're very mean," Andy replies, crossing his arms over his chest. He and Saruhiko have always been on different wavelengths, their personalities wildly clashing despite being closest to each other in age than to any of their other siblings. Among his brothers, Andy is the one he absolutely can't tolerate for long periods of time, if only because he's much too loud.

"At least I'm not an idiot."

".... Are you calling me an idiot?!"

"Now, now. Saruhiko wants to be alone," says Tatsuya, putting a hand on Andy's shoulder. "We can go together later if you really want to swim up to the surface."

Andy pouts like a little child and looks away.

There's a look of resignation on Akira's face when he turns to Saruhiko and gives him a pat on the head. He's probably disappointed that their youngest brother isn't in the mood to hang out with them today, but Saruhiko isn't in the mood to care either so he doesn't say anything.

"Alright, you. Be careful," Akira says after a heavy sigh. "You're smart so you already know this, but don't let humans see you."

"And be home before dinner," Tatsuya adds with a little smile.

Saruhiko gives his brothers a small nod before swimming away. He doesn't look behind him to see if they follow like they often do whenever he swims to the surface. His brothers try to do it in secret, but they're not exactly as stealthy as they like to think.

One of these days he'll definitely turn around to call them out on it. Just because he knows they're only worried for his safety doesn't mean it isn't annoying that they don't trust him enough to believe he's capable of taking care of himself. For now, it's too troublesome to argue so he'll continue to put up with their coddling.

The sunlight filtering through the waters eventually enters Saruhiko's vision and the temperature of his surroundings gradually changes as he approaches the surface. The rainy season should have passed by now, and it seems like it's a sunny day out. He slows down, belatedly realizing the great possibility of the beach being filled with the humans that frequent it during this season.

Annoyed at himself, Saruhiko clicks his tongue.

 _Seems like no one's swimming around this part, at least_ , he thinks as he cautiously approaches an islet some distance off shore.

Slowly, Saruhiko sticks half of his head above water to check if anyone is on the islet. He starts on the side that faces away from the town and very carefully swims around it while keeping a safe distance.

So focused was he on the islet that a particularly big wave catches him off-guard. Somewhere between closing his eyes as the wave hits him from the side and getting his bearings back, his tail fin hits _something_ that he's sure isn't just a protruding rock.

 _What the—?!_ Saruhiko turns around just in time to see the last of that something go under. He dives down and finds that it's a human child helplessly flailing their arms and kicking their legs, struggling to swim back up. He instinctively grabs them by the shoulders and hauls them as fast as he can towards the islet.

It's not easy. Saruhiko isn't exactly known for his physical strength, after all. The human child is heavier than they look and then they start thrashing so it becomes difficult to keep his grip on them.

His tail was already beginning to scrape against the rough floor, the sand and shells and rocks digging in painfully, so he couldn't swim any closer to the islet. With one final push, Saruhiko shoves the child forward and hopes that he didn't just accidentally murder someone.

At first he feels relief when he hears the child gasp for air as their head finally emerges above water. And then dread begins to creep up his back because he just _saved a human_.

They had their back on Saruhiko though, so he thinks he can still leave without being seen.

"Wait!!"

Against his better judgement, Saruhiko stops. His brother's words echo in his head. _Don't let humans see you_. There's a reason they have this rule, and it's not just because of that fairy tale about a mermaid princess that got eaten by the human she saved from a storm at sea. Saruhiko is smart enough not to believe in fairy tales anymore, but he's also smart enough to know that those stories don't just come out of nowhere.

And yet he's apparently not smart enough to just swim away instead of turning back to the child. _Who's the idiot now?_

"What's your name?" the child asks, their big, round eyes gleaming with a dazzling sort of curiosity that should scare Saruhiko away.

He should just leave. There's no reason for him to even listen to this human's questions. But he lifts his head above water anyway and carefully translates his next words in his head. Even though the child speaks a little differently than the usual humans around this area, Saruhiko figures the difference shouldn't be such that his knowledge of their language won't be sufficient.

"Watch where you're swimming next time," he says.

"Eh?"

"I said, don't just carelessly swim around like that."

The child blinks at him, his small face framed by a mop of reddish brown hair. Despite looking so pitifully stupid, they still manage to radiate a strange positive energy. Saruhiko blames the sun for this sudden feeling of overwhelming warmth, but he has a sneaking suspicion that it might be something else entirely.

"Oh. Okay. I'm Yata. What's your name?"

 _What a dumbass!!_ Saruhiko inwardly groans. It should be common knowledge that names might as well be powerful curses in the wrong hands. That's why one should never give them to total strangers so nonchalantly. Do humans not educate their children properly?

"I don't care what your name is," Saruhiko manages to choke out.

"Yeah, well, I'm just saying," the child replies. Their eyes are too brilliant and sparkling, too much like the sun. Saruhiko can't help thinking that they belong to the sky above them. "So what's your name?"

"What makes you think I'll give you my name?"

"I already gave you mine so I'm not a stranger anymore."

Saruhiko sighs in exasperation. This kid is really something. Not even Andy is _this_ slow.

"Listen. Don't just carelessly give your name away to people you don't know. Names are very powerful, you know. Or are you an idiot?"

"I don't get it."

Saruhiko clicks his tongue. "... You really are an idiot."

"Then you just have to say it in a way even an idiot will understand, right?"

There is a slight pause as Saruhiko considers the possibility that the problem isn't that the child is an idiot, instead it is only that his command of the human language is not enough to get his point across. Saruhiko frowns to himself.

"Are you always this careless? Next time, don't just tell random strangers your name. It can be used against you."

"Is that why you don't wanna tell me your name?"

Saruhiko clicks his tongue again. When the child's face lights up, Saruhiko starts to think that they're actually the sun come down to this world for the sole purpose of torturing him with its blinding radiance.

"Okay, I understand now," they say. "Your name is embarrassing, huh? I promise I won't tease you. My name's embarrassing too. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. I think that's only fair."

Saruhiko looks at the child suspiciously. Didn't they already give him their name? Maybe they're just trying to trick Saruhiko by playing dumb.

"That's not it… but whatever…," he says. "You said your name is Yata."

"That's my family name! My given name is different. But you have to promise not to call me that! Just call me Yata!"

 _Oh, right. Humans go by more than one name._ Tatsuya is a human culture enthusiast so he has a sizeable collection of literature on the subject. Saruhiko vaguely remembers reading some of them as a child and wondering why one living creature would require so many names, but perhaps that's what makes them stronger and safer, and therefore something to fear.

Giving _his_ one and only name is really going to bite him in the tail one day.

"... Saruhiko," he mumbles.

"Eh? Saruhiko?" the child repeats. They're beaming so brightly that Saruhiko has to squint at him and he feels heat rising in his cheeks. "That's not an embarrassing name at all! Anyway, nice to meet ya! I'm Misaki. But call me Yata, okay?"

"What's so embarrassing about 'Misaki'?"

Saruhiko actually thinks it's a nice name. It rolls pleasantly off his tongue. But the child scowls at him, looking very offended.

"Hah??!! What d'you mean, what's embarrassing about it?!"

"You know what, nevermind. I don't care."

Saruhiko turns and swims away as fast as he can manage, kicking at the sand and the shells that are scraping his tail. The scratches start stinging but he doesn't pause to inspect them, in case Misaki is dumb enough to try to go after him. They're probably bad enough for his siblings to notice if they're stinging this much, though. It seems like his brothers didn't follow him today or else they would have caught up to him by now, so he figures he still has time to make up a cover up story before he reaches home.

He only slows down when he thinks he's already far enough from surface for any humans to possibly reach. It's then that the gravity of his situation finally settles in his stomach.

 _Not only did I let a human see me, I also gave them my name_. Saruhiko winces at the thought of his family finding out. He will have to keep this secret for the rest of his life, which, considering that merpeople tend to have a very long lifespan, might as well mean "for all eternity".

Still, Saruhiko is surprised to find that he doesn't really regret speaking to Misaki. The kid most probably didn't see his tail anyway and may not even be aware of how much power they now have over Saruhiko just because they know his name.

And if Misaki was only playing dumb and is actually the sun incarnate like Saruhiko suspects, maybe he doesn't completely mind either. The sun has always been his enemy— too hot and too bright, burning every inch of Saruhiko's skin and blinding his eyes with its radiance. His defeat would be completely understandable if he never really stood a chance.

(Not that he would ever acknowledge defeat, of course.)

No one is at the palace courtyard when Saruhiko finally returns. He's been careful to avoid bumping into anyone on his way to his room, so it was a relief to find that he didn't have to encounter any of his siblings where there aren't any suitable hiding places.

"Saruhiko."

He feels like his skin just jumped off of his flesh and his heart got stuck in his throat. When he turns around, he is met with the red eyes of a young selkie.

"Anna. Didn't see you there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared," Saruhiko says rather unconvincingly. "Just a little surprised."

"Hm."

Anna isn't much of a talker, which was fine. Children can be really annoyingly talkative most of the time, and Saruhiko appreciates that Anna knows when to drop it.

"Did you need anything?" he asks.

"Saruhiko is hurt," she says, her gaze dropping to settle onto the scratches on Saruhiko's tail.

"I'm fine. Just a scratch."

Anna meets him in the eyes again, but her stare is too piercing that Saruhiko can't help looking away.

"You had a good day today." It's more of a declaration, not a question. That's the annoying thing about Anna. She sees just a little too much for Saruhiko's comfort.

"It wasn't bad, I suppose," Saruhiko says.

"I'm glad," Anna replies with a smile. "We all want Saruhiko to be happy."

"... Okay. If that's all, I'm going back to my room."

"Are you not going to have those looked at?"

"Like I said, I'm fine. Don't tell anyone."

If Anna is displeased with Saruhiko's answer, it doesn't show on her face. She only nods and quietly watches him swim away.

"Was it sunny up there today?" she calls after him.

Saruhiko never did like the sun much, but he thinks of the warmth and the light of the world above the sea. He thinks of the sand and the shells and the rocks that scraped his tail. He thinks of the islet. He thinks of Misaki.

"Yeah, it was a clear day," he answers.


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saruhiko discovers that he has a special fondness for summers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized belatedly that this chapter only makes sense after having read chapters 3 and 4 of [Where The Sky Touches The Sea](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5991490/chapters/13767451). The first chapter was meant to stand alone, a direct counterpart/rewriting of the other fic's first chapter, because I wasn't intending to write more under this title. I still don't. I'm still not promising anything on both fronts. But I hope you all still enjoy what I currently have to offer.

Saruhiko doesn't know why he's so mad. All he knows is that he wants to get away from there, from Misaki, as quickly as his tail would allow. He speeds up past all the sea creatures greeting him with cheerful Good Mornings, not even sparing them a glance. Usually he would at least politely nod back because his father raised him to be a civilized merman, unlike that uncouth tiger shark that doesn't even bother to control his ragtag bunch of unruly fish. But today he fears that if he stops, he will explode. So Saruhiko keeps swimming, faster and faster, until the palace gates enter his line of vision.

He ignores the guards too when they salute to him and in his haste he barely even notices the members of Mikoto's gang loitering around the outer court. Saruhiko swims by some of his siblings as well, but he doesn't pause to let his sister scold him for swimming too fast down the corridors. It is only when he reaches the hallway that leads to his room that he begins to calm and slow down. Only then that he stops to think about what really upset him.

_"Do you know where Shizume is? It's kinda far from here. So we can't meet everyday anymore."_

Those words burnt Saruhiko's skin and made his stomach curl. Suddenly it was hard to breathe, every inch of him itched, and the light of the sun in the horizon became too much to bear. Saruhiko didn't like running away because he doesn't like losing. But at that moment all he could think about was how his close proximity to Misaki then made him so sick and angry and he knew he just had to get away.

That's why he bolted without looking back. That's why he swam so fast that all his muscles are now aching and sore. That's why he's currently at the hallway, glaring at the door to his room as if it just insulted several generations of his family.

If Saruhiko is going to be honest, he's starting to regret leaving Misaki like that.

"Hey."

When Saruhiko turns, he sees Himori watching him worriedly. Himori's chambers are at a different wing and he should be occupied with royal duties around this time anyway, so Saruhiko doesn't know why he's here.

"Something the matter?" Himori asks. He swims closer. "Saw you speeding past the courtyard earlier. Didn't think you'd come home early since Mikoto-san and his boys are here..."

"Anna's not a boy."

Saruhiko hasn't seen Anna, but he knows that wherever Mikoto is, there she would be. It's not much of a stretch to assume that she's also somewhere in the palace right now and Saruhiko just wants to be contrary because he doesn't really want to talk about his feelings.

Himori smiles gently. "Yes, of course. She's at the courtyard with Ren and Andy. You're welcome to join them if you like."

"I'm tired," says Saruhiko.

"I'd be surprised if you aren't, the way you swam earlier."

"Yeah. So. I'm going to rest."

"Saruhiko, you know you can always tell us if something's bothering you, right?"

"Mmhm."

"Okay. Just checking." Himori pats him softly on the head. "You've been going out a lot lately and we've never seen you happier, so we're happy for you too. But I hope you're being careful out there. Summers are when humans flock to the beach."

Guilt nibbles a little at Saruhiko's chest. Though he will never admit it aloud, Saruhiko has a relatively high regard for Himori. Despite being only second in line to the throne next to the eldest son Ryuuhou, Himori has a strong sense of leadership and a good head on his shoulders. Saruhiko has always admired how Himori worked hard whether anyone was looking or not, and how he seems to effortlessly inspire awe and respect from everyone he meets. Among his siblings, Himori is one that he definitely doesn't want to disappoint. Keeping something like Misaki a secret from him makes Saruhiko uncomfortable.

"I'm careful," Saruhiko manages to say.

"Well, when you're feeling rested, I'm sure Anna would love to play with you."

They exchange nods. As soon as his brother turns to leave, Saruhiko disappears into his room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saruhiko is awoken from his nap by Andy and Akira yelling at each other in the hallway. His entire body is still sore from all that swimming earlier so he really would rather not move from his spot. But the yelling and laughing grew louder and louder.

"Could you keep it down?" Saruhiko says grumpily, as he pokes his head out his door. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"Is Saruhiko not feeling well?" a small voice asks. Saruhiko looks down and finds Anna staring up at him.

"Heeeeeey, Saruhiko!" Andy calls from the end of the hallway. "Come join us!"

"Saruhiko is not feeling well," Anna tells him.

"Eh?! What happened?!"

Andy swims up to Saruhiko and Anna, Akira following right behind. They both have worried expressions on their faces.

"I told you not to skip breakfast!" Akira scolds him. "Food is important!"

"I'm not sick," says Saruhiko. "Just tired."

"Because you're not eating well!" Akira and Andy chorus.

"That's not—" Saruhiko sighs. "I went up earlier."

Akira and Andy exchange looks. Anna is watching the three of them quietly, but Saruhiko is very sure that the gears are already turning in her head. She's too sharp, this pup.

"You've been going up a lot lately," Akira says carefully.

"It's really great!" says Andy. "We're really happy that you've been going out more! We're just kind of curious what would motivate our _dearest_ Saruhiko to leave his room so often..."

Saruhiko's heart is pounding in his chest and he can feel his fingers tremble, but he resists the urge to retreat to his room and slam the door at his brothers' faces.

Keeping his facial expression blank, he musters up the most neutral tone he can manage and says, "Have you seen the stars lately? They're really nice."

"I'd like to see them," Anna says.

"Hey, we should all go together!" suggests Akira.

"Yeah, that sounds fun!" Andy agrees.

"No," says Saruhiko. "You're too noisy."

Andy pouts at him. "Fine. Anna, _we'll_ go together!"

"Maybe we should ask Mikoto-san first if we can take Anna with us...," says Akira.

"Oh... Well. How about _you_ do it?"

"Why me? It was your idea to take her!"

"You're older!"

"But he's scary!"

Saruhiko clicks his tongue. "Why don't both of you ask?"

Akira and Andy decide it was a good idea so they both go to look for Mikoto, leaving Saruhiko alone with Anna. Saruhiko can't help wondering if his brothers did that on purpose to get out of babysitting duty.

"You should probably get in," says Saruhiko, holding the door open wider to let Anna inside. He doesn't want her wandering around alone and getting lost, but he doesn't want to leave his room either.

Anna does what she is told and stops not far from the door to wait for Saruhiko. Or to stare at him with her big round eyes. Saruhiko thinks it's the latter.

"I know you want to say something." Saruhiko closes the door behind him.

"I'd like to see what Saruhiko swims up for," says Anna. "It's not only the stars."

"There's no use lying to you, is there?"

Anna only stares right back at him.

"It's... a thing called Misaki."

"A Misaki?"

"Hn."

"What is a Misaki?"

Saruhiko looks away because Anna's gaze feels too heavy, as if his mind is being read. As much as he'd rather not lie to her, he also doesn't want to admit that Misaki is a _human_.

"Misaki is a warm thing," says Saruhiko. "It's bright like the sun. But also comfortable like dawn."

"Does this Misaki make Saruhiko happy?"

"No!" A pause. "...Maybe. But it makes me angry too."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Doesn't matter. I won't see it again."

Anna's face lights up, seemingly in understanding. "Ah. Misaki is seasonal."

Saruhiko opens his mouth to correct her, but suddenly he remembers Misaki's words.

_"I'll come see you next summer! We spend our summers here so I'll be here every year!"_

Saruhiko doesn't know what he was going to correct her with anyway, but if Misaki wasn't lying, Anna isn't entirely wrong.

"Maybe," he says with a shrug. "I won't know until next summer."

He throws himself on his bed and Anna swims up to cuddle with him. It's a habit she picked up from his nephew Kai who always stuck himself to Saruhiko. At this point it's already futile to change that habit of theirs, so Saruhiko just lets them be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(It turns out that Andy and Akira did swim up to the surface late that night. Mikoto didn't allow them to take Anna along, which they said was for the best because right as the sun was about to rise, a redhead human kid arrived on the islet they were lounging at. The boy wouldn't leave, apparently, so the brothers had to head home earlier than they would have liked.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Is Saruhiko swimming up tonight?"

Anna hovers between Saruhiko and the palace gates. No one else is around besides the guards stationed at the gates, but those guys are used to Saruhiko leaving at this hour so he doesn't worry about them.

After Akira and Andy reported last year about a redhead kid at the islet, Saruhiko kept swimming up to see if Misaki was really there. He did show up every day until he didn't, which Saruhiko assumed was the day he had to go back to Shizume, wherever that is.

It's been a year since then. Summer has once again begun to descend upon his side of the world. Although he doesn't have high hopes, Saruhiko wants to know if Misaki will return like he promised.

"I want to look at the stars," says Anna softly. Still, Saruhiko knows it's a demand, not a request. "It's okay. Mikoto is busy."

Saruhiko groans. He knows exactly why that tiger shark is busy right now and it is knowledge that he wishes he did not possess. "You don't have to tell me."

"I want to go with Saruhiko."

"No. It's dangerous." He swims around her and out the gates. "Don't follow me."

Of course she follows him.

They spend the night watching the stars and at some point Saruhiko climbs a rock where Anna follows him too. She climbs it easier than he does because she has the advantage of having legs when on the surface. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little jealous.

Anyway, perched on a rock is the state in which Misaki finds them both.

Saruhiko is barely able to gather his wits quickly enough to take Anna out of there—Misaki is still a human child and Anna is still a selkie and Mikoto will have his head if he finds out about this and Saruhiko would rather not get into that situation, thank you very much—but they manage to swim away before Misaki could come near them. He doesn't dare look at Anna. While she doesn't seem afraid, he's not ready to face her judgement.

They're at the palace courtyard when Anna nudges Saruhiko's hand with the top of her head. Saruhiko takes a deep breath and turns to her. She is smiling.

"Misaki is seasonal."

"Will you tell anyone?" says Saruhiko.

"No."

"Thanks."

"Saruhiko is right. Misaki is warm and bright."

"Hn."

Anna nuzzles Saruhiko's hand. He likes her fur. It's very soft.

"I like Misaki Season," Anna declares.

Saruhiko hums in agreement. "Yeah, me too."

**Author's Note:**

> The way the AU was set up had S4 (and Homra) use only their given names, which wasn't a problem in theory. I began this without any intention of writing it and to me it made sense in-universe that they only had one name. The problem was putting it in practice.
> 
> The members of S4 are not usually referred to by their given names in canon and in fic if at all, so it ended up being really jarring to write. I debated on whether or not I should stick with this "rule", but in the end I decided on its favour because I thought it was what made the most sense for this AU. I hope that didn't take away from enjoying this piece of fiction.


End file.
